Easel



J. DUMAS June 9, 1931.

EAS EL Filed Sept 5 18'. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l J. DUMAS June 9, 1931. 4

EASEL Filed Sept. 18. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l 2 James :1 o r ng.

Patented June 9, 1931 f tsoazea JEAN DUMAS, on cnrcaeo, ILLINOIS EASEL Application filed September 18 1929. Serial No. 898,535.

My invention relates to easels and more particularly to easels havlng a vise clamping mechanism operable to hold canvas stretching frames of various sizes at any desired height.

An object ofthe invention is the provision of an easel which is adjustablefor mounting canvas stretching frames of any size thereon.

Another object of'the invention is the provision of an improved, easel construction which permits the elevation ofthe work to be changed without removing the work from its mounting on the, easel.

A further object of the invention is the provision of improved easel construction which permits the canvas stretch to be adjusted to compensate for irregularities occasioned by moisture and temperature changes without removal from or changing thev position of the work on the easel.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of improved-means forclamping stretching frames in position on the easell.

A still further object of J the inventionis the provision of improved easel construction which is easily l'novedfrom place to place or shifted for advantageous positionrelative. to a source of light. I

-A further ob ect ofthe invention is the production of a device ofthekind described,.

which is simple in construction, of a small number of parts, easy-to manufacture, dura ble, reliable and highly satisfactory for its. intended purpose; i Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown and described will be obvious to those skilled in the. art from the disclosure herein given; Y To this end my invention consists inthe novel construction, arrangement and combi; nation herein shown andv described and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Inthe drawings wherein like numeralsindicate like or corresponding parts? i Fig. 1-is an elevational view of the device; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; Fig; 3 is a sectionalong the line"8 '+3 of Fig. 1 drawn to a larger soale;

-Fig. dis a section along the line of Fig. 1 drawn. to the same scale as Fig. 3;

Fig- 5 is a section along the line 5- -5 of Fig. 1' drawn to the same scale as Figs. 3 nd 4; r i I Fig-.6 is. ascction along the line 6,- -6 of Fig3.;' i 1 Fig.7 is a fragmentary elevational View of the portion of the device shown in plan in Figfi; and

Fig. 8' is, a sect on along the line. 8 -8 of Fig-x 4... 'Referring'now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 gcnerally'designates an upright frame supported upon a platform .1. plurality of Wheels 12 enables the de-. Vice tobe easily moved from place to place or to be shifted to obtain light from anydesired direction. r I

The frame 10 comprises a plurality of crtically extending rods or standards 14. The. device is shown with four of the rods 14; but

it is obvious that any other desired number of such'rods may be provided. The rods, 14, may be made either hollow or solid but I. prefer o; mak them hollow. The lower ends of the rods l4, are ,oifsetto form shoulders bearing against the top of the platform 11. f

The offset end portions ofthe rods 14 project through theplatfmm 11 and a plate 16 and are held clamped in position by nuts 15 threaded tightly aga t the plate The p ate 16 provides thedesirable rigidity for the con nection of the frame 1.0'withj'the platform 11. A plate 18: is mounted on the upper ends of the rods 14 and held-in place by nuts 17. v i r The frame '10 provides a support for the ariists work at any desiredelevation and 1 also provides a vise forstretching the canvas which is being'painted. For this purpose I havemounted a plate 23 intermediat t e d of the frame 10, the plate being fixed relative to the'frame. The plate 223 forms a mounting fora rack 24; and a 'co-operating pinion 20. A shaft 21 provides a rotatable mounting forthe. pinion between a pair of dogs 22," the pinion being so mounted as to engage teeth 25 forming a portion of the rack rod 24.

The shaft 21 terminates in a crank 26 by means of which the. rack 24 and pinion 20 are actuated. A ratchet wheel 28 is fixedly mounted ontheshaft 21, intermediate the pinion 20 and the crank 26. A pawl- 32 norof the stretching frame 36 is clamped in pomally engages the ratchet wheel 28 to prevent movement of the ratchet wheel and the pinion 20. The pawl 32 is mounted upon one end of an arm 29 and is manually movable to disengage the ratchet wheel 28 by means of ahandle 31, for a purpose hereinafter more particularly described. The other end of the arm 29 is pivotally connected between a pair of ears 30 which project upwardly from the plate 23.

A stretching frame 36 for a canvas 37 is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and in section in Fig. 6. The frame 36 is supported bya plate 33. The plate 33 is slidably mounted upon the frame 10 and is fixedly mounted on the upper end of the rack rod 24 and movable therewith. The rod 24 is for this purpose offset to form a shoulder upon which the plate 33 rests. The narrow end portion of the rod 24 projects through the plate 33 and is fastened to the plate by countersinking the end of the rod or by any other suitable means. Since the frame 10 is relatively narrow and the main body portion ofthe plate 33 only slightly wider than the frame, it is desirable to form the forward portion 35 of the plate with lateral. projections. The forward portion 35 of the plate 33 thereby provides a support for the frame 36 for substantially the entire length of the upper transverse portion of the frame. The portion 35 may be formed integrally with the plate 33 or'it may be separately formed and fastened by "any suitable means.

The upper transversely extending portion sition upon the forward portion 35 of the plate 33 by means of a cam actuated plate 38. The plate 38 is normally positioned above the plate 35 'at a'distance slightly greater than the width of the upper portion of the stretching frame 36. A. vertically movable member 39 provides a mounting for the plate 38, the plate being connected with the member bya plurality of screws 40. The plate 38 is moved into clamping contact with the frame 36 by cam mechanism comprising a disc 42, operatively connected with the member 39 by a rocker arm 43. One bifurcated end of the arm 43 is connected with the member 39 by means of a pivotpin 47 and the other end is similarly bifurcated and connected with the disc 42 by a pin 46. The arm 43 is 'pivotally mounted at its mid-portion upon a pin 45 carried by a pair of'spaced apart upwardly projecting dogs 44, between which the arm is positioned. A handle 41 provides for rotation of the disc 42 about the pin 46 as an axis. Since the pin 46 is eccentric to the disc 42, rotation of the disc produces a camming action. In the position of the arm 41 as shown in Fig. 6, the pin 46 has reached substantially its uppermost position with the opposite end of the arm 43 similarly lowered to bring the plate 38 into clamping contact with the frame 36. Counter-clockwise movement of the arm 41 will move the plate 38 upwardly relative to the plate 35 and release the frame 36.

The plate 48 is mounted on the frame 10, below the plate 23, to provide means for engaging the lower transverse portion of the canvas stretching frame 36. The plate 48 is movable relative to the frame 10 and is clamped in any desired position by set screws 49. The plate 48 is provided with a forwardly and laterally projecting portion 51, similar to the projecting portion 35 of the plate 33.. The portion 51 is positioned to en gage the upper edge of the lower transverse portion of the canvas stretching frame 36, as shown in Fig. 1. The position at which the plate 48 is to be set upon the frame 10 by means of the set screws 49 is determined by the depth of the canvas stretching frame 36 and'the height at which the artist desires to position his work. 1

The artist having decided the height which is desirable for his work, first fastens the plate 48 to the frame 10 by means of the screws 49fand then shifts the plate 33, by turning the crank 26 and thereby actuating the rack 24 on which the plate is mounted. In actuating the rack 24, the operator, first releases the pawl 32 by means of the handle 31, and turns the handle until the plate 33 and the projecting portion 35 are spaced from the plate 48 and its projecting portion 51, a distance. slightly less than the spacing of the inside edges of the corresponding upper and lower transverse portions of the stretching frame 36. The frame 36 is then suspended from the projecting portion 35, inwhichposition its lower transverse edge portion will be underneath and slightly spaced away from the projecting portion 51 and the plate 38 clamped down by actuating the handle 41. Thecrank 26 is then turned to elevate the plate 33 and the frame 36suspended therefrom, thereby bringing the upper edge of the lower transverse portion of the frame into contact with the lower edge of the projecting portion 51 of the plate 48 to stretchthe canvas the desired amount. The apparatus is locked in this, position by re-engaging the pawl 32 withthe ratchet wheel 28, thereby forming a vise holding the frame in .clamped positionan d stretching the canvas as desired, It is to be observed that the device may be constructed to adapt it for use with canvas of any size and that any particular device may be advantageously used with frames or canvases of a variety of sizes and at any desired elevation.

' Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modifications maybe made in the same without departing from the spirit of my invention;

hence, I do not wish to be understood as r plurality of vertical rods mounted on said base, a pair of plates slidably mounted on' said rods, the forward edges of said plates each forming a shelf, means operable to clamp one of said'plates on said rods, and mechanism operable to selectively vary the spacing of said plates.

2.'Easel construction comprising a base, a plurality of vertical rods mounted in fixed spaced apart relation on said base, a pair of plates slidably mounted on said rods, the for- Ward edges of said plates each forming a shelf, means operable to clamp one of the plates 011 said rods, and mechanism operable to selectively vary the spacing of the plates and to hold said plates in fixed spaced apart relation.

3. Easel construction comprising a base, a plurality of vertical rods mounted in fixed spaced apart relation on said base, a pair of plates slidably mounted on said'rods, the for- Ward edges of said plates each forming a.

shelf,-means operable to hold one of said plates fixed relative to said rods, and a rack and pinionoperable to control the movement of the other of said plates. 7

V 4. Easel construction comprising a base, a plurality of vertical rods mounted in fixed spaced apart relation on said base, a pair of plates slidably mounted on said rods, the'for- Ward edges of said plates each forming a shelf, means operable to hold one of said plates fixed relative to said rods, a rack and pinion operable to control the movement of the other of said plates, a clamping plate movably mounted on one of said plates, and cam mechanism operable to control the clamping plate.

5. Easel construction comprising a base, a 1

plurality of vertical. rods mounted in fixed spaced apart relation on said base, a pair of plates slidably mounted on said rods, the forward edges of said plates each forming a shelf, means operable to hold one of said plates fixed relative to said rods, a rack and pinion operable to control the movementof the other of said plates, a clamping plate movably mounted on said rack controlled plate and cam mechanism operable to control the clamping plate. I V

6. Easel construction comprising a base having supporting Wheels, a plurality of vertical rods mounted in fixed spaced apart relation on said base, a pair of plates slidably mounted on said rods, the forward edges of said plates each forming a shelf, means for clamping one of said plates in any desired position on said rods, and mechanism operclamping plate.

able to selectively vary the spacing of said plates.

- 7. Easel construction. comprising an up right member, a pair of spaced apart plates mounted on and projecting from said member, means for varying the spacing of said plates selectively, a clamping plate movably mounted on one of said plates, and cam mechanism operable to control the position of the 8. Easel construction comprising an upright member, a pair of spaced apart plates mounted on and projecting from said member, means for selectively varying the spacing of said plates, means operable to shift the position of one of said plates relative to the upright member, a clamping plate mounted on and movable relative to the projecting portion of one of said plates, and cam 'mechanism operable to control the position of the clamping plate.

' In Witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 14th day of September, A. D.

' JEAN DUMAS. 

